Items

• 
  2020

  Scents of Indoor-Focused Life

  When the pandemic began in earnest in March 2020, I was, like so many others, caught pretty unawares. I had heard in passing of the existence of the covid virus, but was pretty ignorant overall of the rapid spread and severity of it. I worked in a customer service job at the time, and as it happened, continued to do so through the rest of 2020, 2021, and now the beginning of 2022. While some businesses closed down in spring 2020, my workplace was considered to be essential, and so I continued to go to work everyday as if nothing had happened. Except it had, and would continue to do so, growing worse as time went on. I, always having been a bit of a homebody, immediately searched for ways to find regularity and comfort at home, where I spent all of my time that wasn't at work. I've always found the sense of smell to be very compelling, if only because so many memories can be associated with them. Getting that one whiff of a fried pastry in your own house, for example, might bring to mind that funnel cake you had at the amusement park as a kid. In spring 2020, I bought a selection of scented candles in a saga of online shopping, all of them based off some book or character from such. I've always taken comfort in my favorite books, movies, television shows, etc., and thought that extending that escapism in one more way might help me out as work became ever more stressful. I quickly discovered that this was very true, and started looking for and purchasing many more candles, a hobby that has continued to this day. I'm sure my bank account does not appreciate it, but my mental health does. I can still connect certain candle scents to days I felt particularly at peace at certain points throughout the last few years; a whiff of vanilla musk and rose wafting through the house, for example, reminds me of that day I had off in summer 2021 where I had new records to play, read a new book by my favorite author, and just enjoyed the day with my dog. It's hard for a lot of people, including myself, to find moments like that through the pandemic. My candles, and the ongoing memories and peace they bring to mind, have helped me find some semblance of happiness through the covid experience.
• 
  2020-03

  When the Outdoors Became Quiet and the Indoors Became Loud

  My aural experience changed greatly when Nevada all but shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic, mid-March 2020. For me, the indoors then became louder, and the outdoors became much quieter. School was canceled for my four children, so naturally my home had far fewer quiet moments than it had prior—a challenge since my son and I were taking college courses. A Just Dance song called “Diggy,” instantly reminds me of the COVID shutdown whenever I hear it, because my kids frequently danced to it (amongst others) in the first few weeks. Because my husband’s hearing aids amplify indoor sounds to the point of discomfort at times, there were also a lot of spoken (and yes, even yelled) reminders in our home for the kids to bring down their voices—another auditory memory. The outdoors were a particularly quiet place at that time, which was unusual since Las Vegas is quite lovely in the Spring. Birds and silence and the occasional barking dog, replaced the sounds of planes and traffic that normally accompany nature’s noises in my area. On still days, I could hear the school-bells chime at one of the three nearby schools, reminding me of what we were collectively experiencing. Additionally, when my kids went to distance-education several months later (August 2020), versions of the refrain “Quiet! I’m un-muting!” were daily—often multiple times a day—auditory experiences in our home.
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  2020-06-05

  Should You Venture In? 4 Coronavirus Safety Questions to Consider

  A blog post form Banner Health about safety risks.
• 
  2021-06-15

  Covid Travels

  How have you and your family handled vacations and outings since the pandemic began? With popular vacation destinations becoming a hotbed of Covid exposure and infections, travel has become challenging. Many have chosen to forego or pause vacations in the age of Covid. National parks are a good alternative to crowded beach locations, as these parks give us opportunity for socially-distanced camping and hiking without the dangers that indoor entertainment venues pose.
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  2021-03-08

  Article: Late Stage Pandemic is Messing with Your Brain

  I read this, & it struck a chord with me. Several elements in it range true. I thought it was important to save.
• 2020-10-20

  Introverts love the indoors and lockdown

  The image that has been submitted is important to me because its relatable to those that enjoy being isolated from society as much as possible. Granted even introverts need some sort of human interaction, more often than not they prefer it to be as minimal as possible. Which is why the character in the image looks absolutely ecstatic to enter a mysterious room. If anything there isn't much of a story to the image, rather it can be used to illustrate a human emotion, joy, but a odd, weird joy. Due to the fact that most people want to spend more time with their families, it doesn't seem absolutely innocent due to the fact that some people might actually spend too much time to themselves and will ultimately have a difficult time working with other people again. Let alone normal day to day social interactions, casual conversation might become unnecessarily challenging, but it will be something that people will have to deal with until things can get back to normal.
• 
  2020-07-05

  Coronavirus is Airborne

  The coronavirus emphasis in the beginning was always on washing our hands and the time period that it could remain active on various surfaces. As it has changed and developed, scientists and doctors have struggled to understand its nature while the public has been somewhat resistant to trusting the advice of professionals. Dr. Ding is highlighting the importance of everyone being on the same page and keeping the info as current as is possible. This item was added TAGS v6.1.9.1. I originally searched under the hashtag #airborne. Within that search, I have chosen to add the following tweet because it showcases the concerns of doctors that are struggling to understand the ever-changing nature of the coronavirus. It also shows the struggles between medical professionals and the WHO Link to the NYT article (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/239-experts-with-1-big-claim-the-coronavirus-is-airborne.html)
• 
  2020-05-26

  Reopening and Social Distancing

  As the states begin reopening the question of if social distancing will be enough to flatten the curve is now on the forefront.